Kenseth, perhaps the second-hottest driver behind Johnson in recent weeks, was dominant in winning the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he led 214 of the 267 laps.

Johnson’s title capped one of the strongest seasons for a NASCAR driver in the sport’s modern era. The California native came to Florida with a four-race winning streak and an 86-point lead in the title standings over his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon.

Johnson, 32, needed only to finish 18th or better to win the Cup.

“Everything came together, we’re rocking,” Johnson said after driving his No. 48 Chevrolet into Victory Lane.

“I’ve been so blessed, it’s just awesome stuff,” said Johnson, who started on the pole. “I can’t go without also thanking Jeff Gordon . . . for being a great friend, a great teammate.”

Gordon was in the top 10 for most of the race, which started in the late-afternoon and ended under the lights. But he never led a lap on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami oval and finished fourth, ending the season 77 points behind Johnson.

The Chase was a stinging disappointment for Gordon, 36, who won six races this year and had a huge lead in the Cup series points when the Chase began.

But all the contenders’ points are reset for the Chase, and Gordon couldn’t catch Johnson, who finished with 10 wins this year, the most since Gordon won 13 in 1998.

In yesterday’s race, Kurt Busch was second for Penske Racing South, and Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing was third. Both were among those in the Chase, but only Johnson and Gordon were still mathematically eligible to win the title.

Kenseth’s victory was his second of the year and it capped his strong late-season comeback.

The Wisconsin native quickly fell from title contention in the first half of the Chase and was last among the 12 drivers in the playoff. But he finished in the top-five in the last five races and surged to fourth in the standings. – LA Times